Pipe holder



Tjw.v ADAIR May 9, 1933.

PIPE HOLDER Filed May 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gmnl oz M 71. 14M;

T. W. ADAIR PIPE HOLDER May 9, 1933.

Filed May 5, 1

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Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS W. ADAIR, OFHOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO HOWARD SMITH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF TEXASPIPE HOLDER Application filed May 5, 1930. Serial No. 449,784.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a pipe holder.

One object of the invention is to provide a holder of the characterdescribed, designed to be mounted in a rotary table or other support andprovided to support pipe or tubing suspended in a well bore and which isof such construction that it will hold the pipe while the pipe issuspended therefrom and which will readily release the pipe when thepipe is moved upwardly relative to the holder.

The invention involves certain improvements on that type of pipe holderdescribed in application Serial No. 323,733 filed December 4, 1928. andnow pending in the United States Patent Oflice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe holder whosesegments have the respective series of super-imposed pipe engaging dogsadapted to grip and suspend the pipe without injury to said pipe andwhich,

upon upward movement of the pipe will readily release the same to theend that the holder will not stick or wedge, between the pipe and theseat in which the holder is located, so tightly as to make it difiicultto release the pipe when it is desired to elevate the pipe in making upor breaking up the string and the invention comprehends also a removablewearing plate against which the outer edges of the dogs work and furthercomprehends yieldable means normally holding said dogs inwardly andupwardly inclined so as to more readily grip and hold when the weight ofthe pipe is assumed by said dogs. 1

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of guides onthe holder segments through which the holder may be prevented fromhanging on the rotary table or other support and which will guide theholder segment into the supporting seat.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of anovel form of a holder segment more specifically hereinafter described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

' wherein:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of one section of the holder.

Figure 2 shows a transverse sectional vie taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 3.

Figure 3 shows a vertical sectional view of the holder taken on the line3--3' of Figure 1, v

and

Figure 4 shows a vertical sectional view taken on the line f-4c ofFigure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1designates a suitable support having the downwardly converging seat 2.This support may be a rotary table of a rotary drilling machine or itmay be the conventional adapter ring in said rotary table or anyother'suitable support. The pipe holder is formed of confrontingsections, each section being preferably formed of two segments as 3, 3.If desired the holder or slip, may be formed of more than two sectionsand each section of more segments than shown. The outer side of eachsegment tapers downwardly so that when the sections are assembled into acomplete holder or slip it will fit within the seat 2. In the preferredform each segment has the marginal outstanding wings 4, 4 and a centralvertical bearing rib 5. The outer margin, of the rib 5, only bearsagainst the wall of the seat 2, when the holder is seated in said seat,and the outer margins of the wings 4 are spaced from said seat. Thelower ends of the ribs 5 are extended beneath the segments proper andare beveled inwardly forming the guides 6 which serve to prevent theholder sections from hanging on the upper end of the support when saidsections are inserted into the seat around the pipe 7 to be held Twosegments may be assembled into a slip section as shown in Figures 1 and2 by means of theupper and lower transverse bolts 7, 8 and anintermediate transverse bolt 9 which may be fitted through adjacentwings, 4. Each bolt has the usual head on one end and nut on the otherend, to retain the bolts in position and around the intermediate bolt 9and seated in facing sockets 10, 10 there is a coil spring 11. Thisspring gives the slip section the required flexibility. The upper endsof adjacent segments have the upstanding lugs 12, 12 and between theselugs the lower ends of the arms of the handle 13 are fitted and retainedby the bolt 14 which is fitted through said lugs and through theadjacent end of the handle. Each handle 13 has a suitable grip 15 andthrough these handles the slip sections may be handled independently.

The inner side of each segment has a relatively wide vertical channel 16preferably dovetailed in cross section and which extends from the upperend of the segment down to the transverse ledge or shoulder 17 near thelower end of said segment. In this channel of each segment there is aseries of plate like dogs 18 which are formed to fit loosely in thechannel but which are dovetailed therein against detachment and the dogsof the series are superimposed one upon the other as shown.

Secured to the inner side of the lower end of each segment there may beprovided an inwardly curved flat spring or other yieldable seat 19 onwhich the lower dog of each series rests. This seat 19 supports saidlower dog in such manner that it will incline inwardly and upwardly, asand for a purpose to be hereinafter stated. The outer edges of the dogsof each segment bear against a removable wearing plate or .liner plate20 formed of durable material and fitted into the corresponding channel16 behind said series of dogs 18. When this hearing plate 20;becomesworn it may be removed and reversed in position so as to present asmooth surface to said dogs and when destroyed or worn out a new one maybe readily substituted for it.

Each segment has an upstanding lug as 21 at its upper end and there is ayieldable mounted dog 22 having a recess 23 in its underside into whichthe lug 21 projects. This dog is pivoted to the lug by means of thetransverse bolt 24. A plunger 25 is seated on a spring 26 in the socket27 in the upper end of each segment and this plunger normally holds theinner end of the dog 22 against the upper side of the upper dog of thecorresponding series of dogs 18. This dog 22 presses against theadjacent dog 18 near the outer margin of the latter and cooperates withsupporting seat 19 of the series to normally hold the dogs of saidseries inclined inwardly and upwardly.

The ends of the dogs 18 are beveled inwardly and between said beveledportion the inner margins of the dogs are arcuate as at 28 so that whenthe segments are assembled into a complete slip or holder, the innermargins of the dogs 18 will conform to the con tour of and engage aboutthe pipe 7 to be held. The pipe engaging margins of said dogs may bemilled or otherwise roughened or toothed if desired and their inneredges are beveled upwardly.

In use, the holder sections are inserted into the seat 2 around the pipe7 to be held. Each section of the slip has a yieldably mounted spacer 29projecting outwardly from the face thereof on one side and when thecomplete holder is assembled in the seat 2 around the pipe one of thesespacers 29 will be on each side so as to space the confronting sectionsof the holder substantially an equal distance apart on each side of thepipe.

When the pipe is released by the pipe handling mechanism in the derrickand moves downwardly it will be frictionally engaged by the dogs 18 andthe holder or slip will be moved downwardly and inwardly in the seat.The inner edges of the dogs 18 willswing inwardly and downwardly with atoggle lever effect with the pipe until the lower dog lands on the ledge17. The said'dogs will thereafter grip and hold the pipe suspended inthe bore without biting into or materially injuring said pipe. Uponelevating the pipe, when for any reason it is desirable to do so, thedogs 18 will swing upwardly about the outer bearing edges 30, thereofwhich bear against the plate 20, and the inner edges 28 of said dogs areswung upwardly and outwardly away from the pipe and the pipe will thusbe readily released from the slip.

As hereinabove stated the outer margins of the ribs 5 bear against thewall of the seat 2, thus forming a single contact with the seat, and theouter margins of the wings 4 are spaced inwardly from the seat. If theouter margins of the wings 4 extended out to the same circumference asthe outer margin of the ribs 5, when the holder moved downwardly in theseat 2 the marginal wings 4 would contact with the gradually contractingwalls of the seat, and the ribs 5 would be held clear said seat andwould. form no contact therewith and the load would be sustained by thel marginal wings 4 thus having a tendency to cause the segments 3 toassume a greater curvature which would cause the dogs 18 to becomelocked against movement in their re spective channels. Furthermore, thesingle central contact of each seginentreduces the friction with theseat 2, thus lessening the liability of the holder to become wedged andstuck between the seat and the pipe.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be apreferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while thebroad principle of the invention will be described by the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In a pipe holder a segment, a series of superimposed. movable. pipeengaging dogs on the inner face of said segment. yieldable meansnormally maintaining said dogs inclined inwardly.

2. In a pipe holder a segment having a substantially centrallongitudinal, external rib whose lower end extends beneath the segmentand terminates in an inwardly beveled guide.

3. In a pipe holder a segment having an external longitudinal rib whoselower end is extended beneath the segment'and formed into an inwardlybeveled guide.

4. In a pipe holder a segment, a series of superimposed, movable, pipeengaging dogs on the inner face of said segment, yieldable meansnormally maintaining said dogs inclined inwardly, and a removablebearing plate between said dogs and segment.

5. In a pipe holder a segment having an inside vertical channel, abearing plate therein, a series of superimposed, movable, pipe engagingdogs in said channel and having curved faces bearing against said plate.

6. In a pipe holder a segment having an inside vertical channel, abearing plate therein, a series of superimposed, movable, pipe engagingdogs in said channel and bearing against said plate, and yieldable meansbearing against the lower and upper dogs of said series. I

7. In a pipe holder a segment having an inside vertical, dovetailedchannel, and a series of superimposed, pipe engaging dogs, dovetailed insaid channel, and having curved bearing faces and a removable bearingplate between said dogs and the segment against which said curved facesbear.

8. A pipe holder formed of sections, each section being composed ofsegments, connected together, a series of superimposed, inwardlyinclined, pipe engaging dogs on the inner face of each segment, theinner margin of each dog being movable vertically about a transverseaxis.

9. A pipe holder formed of sections, each section being composed ofsegments, connected together, a series of superimposed, pipe engagingdogs on the inner face of each segment, a vertical, external rib on eachsegment, the lower ends of the ribs terminating in inwardly beveledguides.

10. A pipe holder formed of sections, each section being composed ofsegments, connected together, a series of superimposed, pipe engagingdogs on the inner face of each segment, each dog having a curved bearingface and a bearing plate between the bearing faces of each series andthe corresponding segment.

11. A pipe holder formed of sections, each section being composed ofsegments connected together, a series of superimposed, movable, pipeengaging dogs on the inner face of each segment and yieldable meansnormally holding the dogs of the respective series inclined inwardly andupwardly.

12. In a pipe holder, a segment, a series of plate like, superimposed,pipe engaging dogs on the inner face of said segment and pivotal abouthorizontal axes and yieldable means normally holding the dogs inclinedinwardly.

13. In a pip e holder, a segment, a series of plate-like superimposed,pipe engaging dogs on the inner side of the segment and pivotal aboutapproximately horizontal axes, a hold down member pivotally mounted onthe segment, yieldable means acting against said member and effective tohold said member yieldingly against said series.

14. In a pipe holder, a segment having an inside vertical dove-tailedchannel, and a series of super-imposed pipe engaging dogs dove-tailed insaid channel, each dog being movable on a transverse axis.

15. In a pipe holder, a segment having an inside vertical dove-tailedchannel and a series of superimposed pipe engaging dogs dove-tailed insaid channel and pivotal about horizontal axes.

16. In a pipe holder a plate like dog having an inner, arcuate, pipeengaging face, said dog having ends which diverge outwardly and having asubstantially straight outer margin from end to end which recedesupwardly and inwardly forming an outer hearing face approximatelycoextensive in length with the outer margin of the dog.

17. In a pipe holder, a pipe engaging dog having flat, substantiallyparallel faces and one margin of which is shaped to engage a pipe, themargin of said dog opposite said pipe engaging margin being so curved asto preserve a straight line of contact with a flat surface while rockingagainst the same in a direction parallel to the planes of said faces,said dogs having ends which diverge.

18. In a pipe holder a pipe engaging dog, dovetailed in shape and havingflat faces which are approximately parallel, one margin of said doghaving an arcuate pipe engaging'face and the opposite margin of said dogbeing shaped to preserve a straight line of contact with a flat surfacewhile rocking against the same in a direction perpendicular to theplanes of said flat faces.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS W. ADAIR.

